What is Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy

Energy is an important, at times considerable, component of the expenses of any business. Turning to renewables would benefit both the environment and the bottom line of any business. Consideration must also be given to sustainability in the transport needs.

Energy collected from renewable resources, or natural resources, are considered Renewable.

The typical examples that come into mind are energy (and thus, power) generated from sunlight, wind and rain, however, there are other less known and more complex sources such as tides, waves, geothermal heat, biomass and biodiesel, amongst various others.

Solar Energy and Power

Solar Power is power generated from sunlight – and in the Pacific, sunlight is a widely available commodity. Solar Power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaic cells then convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.

What is Biomass?

Biomass, is a renewable organic matter, and can include biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms, such as wood, waste, and alcohol fuels.

Wood energy is derived both from harvested wood as a fuel and from wood waste products. Waste energy can be generated from municipal waste, manufacturing waste, and landfill gas. Biomass alcohol fuel, or ethanol, is derived almost exclusively from corn.

What is Biofuel?

Biofuel is made from plant oils that can be used in engines. They are typically made of renewable organic raw materials such as soybean or rapeseed oils, animal fats, waste vegetable oils or microalgae oils.

Other forms of energy

Alternative energy is a term used for an energy source that is an alternative to using fossil fuels. Generally, it indicates energies that are non-traditional and have low environmental impact. The term alternative is used to contrast with fossil fuels according to some sources. By most definitions alternative energy doesn’t harm the environment, a distinction which separates it from renewable energy which may or may not have significant environmental impact.